


15 years later

by alskdjfhg



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-01-30
Packaged: 2018-01-10 14:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alskdjfhg/pseuds/alskdjfhg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lady Catelyn Stark looks down at her grandchildren playing in the yard and reflects with her husband on their growing family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	15 years later

**Author's Note:**

> AU- Jon Arryn never died, Ned Stark never went south, and Joffrey was a legitimate child (i.e. not an asshole).  
> Weird i know but i just wanted to picture a happy future for Ned and Cat

It brought a wan smile to Catelyn Stark’s face to watch the children playing at sword in the yard below. Intermingled were small heads of Tully auburn and Stark brown and a touch of Lannister gold could be seen as well. For the past moon, both Catelyn’s daughter’s had returned to Winterfell in celebration of their Lord father’s 50th name day. 

Her sweet Sansa was the very image of a queen as she rode in with her husband, his Grace Joffrey Baratheon and their three children; 8 year old Steffon who looked the very image of his mother and Catelyn herself, 6 year old Sarya, a very pretty young girl with golden curls and sapphire like eyes and little Hoster, a babe of 2 years, the only child to have inherited any of the Stark look, with eyes as grey as her husbands, and hair as auburn as hers. 

Her lovely Arya had ridden in a fortnight earlier, with her husband Lord Edmund Blackwood, the recent death of Tytos Blackwood making them the lord and lady of Raventree Hall. They had 4-year-old twins; a girl and a boy, and a babe on the way. Little Lya was as willful as her mother had been, always up to no good with twinkling tully eyes, her father’s hair and a long solemn face. Edwyn on the other hand was a sweet and shy boy, never far from his mother or sister. Seeing the beautiful, strong young woman her willful child had grown into was a source of great pride for Catelyn. And at seeing her chastise her little children for fighting, Catelyn could not help but chuckle and look knowingly at Ned, sure that he was remembering the little girl who was oft mistaken for a stable boy too. 

Robb had wed Alysanne Karstark, many years ago, and over her years at Winterfell, Catelyn had come to view her fondly. Their three children were Rickard, aged 9 and northern to the bone, Dacey, aged 6 and all of her father’s looks with her mother’s character and little 3-year-old Theon. Catelyn enjoyed nothing more than telling stories to her little one’s, singing them to sleep, and brushing Dacey’s hair. But it wasn’t often she got to see her other little one’s, as they lived so far from Winterfell so she cherished visits like these with all her heart.

Though not all her children were grown and married, she felt a pang of sadness to think of how young they had all once been. She only needed to close her eyes to remember Robb, red faced and squalling as he was pulled from her thirty long years ago. And as she watched her grandsons cross swords as Dacey, Sarya and Lya showered each other with snowballs, she could not help but see Robb crossing swords with Jon, or Arya shoving snow down Rickon’s back. Her youngest, Alys, was still a girl of ten to be sure. And Bryen was only a green boy of thirteen, despite what he’d have everyone believe. Her fifteen-year-old Willam would always be young in her eyes; he was a bookish boy who’s lack of interest in fighting meant he wasn’t muscled like his brothers. But the others had slipped from her fingers. Rickon had always seemed older than his years in his fierceness reminding her so much of Ned’s older brother and Catelyn knew that it was past time he was betrothed to someone, or begin to seek a path in life elsewhere as Bran had. Her Bran, her beloved second son with his sweet heart had become one of the most talented knights in the seven kingdoms. He had fallen in love with Meera Reed in his youth, and they had supported the match wholeheartedly, house Reed being loyal friends. After her death in childbed the year past however, Bran had taken the black to serve beside his uncle and cousin. He had claimed that a calling in a dream had prompted him to join, but Catelyn sensed he was trying to escape his broken heart.

“God’s look at all of them, by the time Al has children we’ll have to name them after Hodor!” Ned stepped behind her and wound his arms around her waist, tucking his chin on her shoulder and drawing her close. Catelyn chuckled softly.  
“I still can’t get my head around supper, we ought to have a lower dais just below ours for all the children… tell me why did we have so many babes again?” Catelyn teased.  
“I can think of a few reasons,” Ned said in his deep voice, kissing the nape of her neck softly where her soft, sensitive skin met her auburn hair. Catelyn was not a vain woman in the slightest but she was grateful to the gods that she had retained quite a bit of the colour in her long hair as she aged.  
“I truly can’t believe it sometimes though… Robb, with a child as old as our daughter! Sansa a queen! Arya’s hair not covered in mud and dirt…”  
“Bran a widower and now a ranger of the nights watch” Ned continued sadly before a long pause, “Rickon bedding half the girls in Winterfell…”  
“Ned!!!” Catelyn pinched his arm where it lay draped across her stomach.  
“…Willam with his dreams to abandon this frozen land and travel the free cities,” Ned continued laughing softly into her hair, “and Bryen, Robb’s shadow in looks and personality. Where did the years go my love, Al is the only one who still acts a child.”  
“Let us never let her grow up, it’s too difficult to have no one rely on me!” Catelyn said sullenly. Ned smiled.  
“Fear not Cat, I am nothing without you I’m afraid. And the hundreds of babes down there will be ever dependent on their beautiful grandmother.”  
She turned around to look into her husbands grey eyes, putting his face in her hands.  
“And who knows perhaps my young gallant husband can give me another child, or perhaps he could simply try,” Catelyn gave her most seductive look, the one she knew had Ned weak in the knees. “Yes I think I should like that very much. I may not have moon blood but a Tully does her duty until her last day.” With those words Ned, pulled her up to her bedchambers and proved to be as wild as the wolf on their sigil.


End file.
